Introduction - Ducati

Room 1
Cucciolo, the Original Ducati
“Come with me, I’ll take you on the Cucciolo, the moped is small but the beat of the engine
is like my heart.”
1946: With the end of World War II, Italy found itself with little money and a desperate need for
transportation – a combination of circumstances that made the introduction of an inexpensive
moped the right invention at just the right time. The Ducati Cucciolo – advertised with a catchy
jingle heard on radios throughout Italy – was a huge success and contributed to the advent of
mass motoring in Italy.
Designed during the war by two loyal Motociclismo magazine freelancers – lawyer Aldo Farinelli
and his brother, engineer Enzo Furio – the Cucciolo, with its two-speed gearbox, was able to
carry two passengers and tackle the steep hills that are so common in Italy. Moreover, being
a four-stroke (with overhead valves!) it could cover 100 kilometers on just one liter of petrol
without fouling the spark plugs. Other mopeds, almost all two-strokes, consumed greater
amounts of petrol and had spark plugs that frequently needed cleaning.
Six versions of the Cucciolo were manufactured between 1946 and 1958 – each model boasting
significant improvements. According to Bruno Ducati, one of the three founding brothers of
the company, almost a million of them – a record amount – were made, including those built
under license abroad.
The Cucciolo was not simply a popular vehicle for use around town. It also won in tourism
and sport competitions, including the 18,000 kilometer Paris-Tokyo ride in 1949 and the world
speed records at Monza in 1950. The Cucciolo won on Zitelli circuit and many other racetracks
in the 50s, including the Six Day International off-road competition in 1951 with Tamarozzi.
Finally, let us not overlook the Cucciolo’s other considerable achievement – that of making
Ducati one of the brightest stars in the motorcycling firmament.
Carlo Perelli
Room 1 - Cucciolo, the Original Ducati
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